ABOUT ME -
My name is Amy and I'm a birder living in central Florida. On this blog I post book and birding product reviews as well as birder gift ideas and announcements related to my birder gift shop on this site. I also have a personal birding blog called Powered By Birds.

Blog Disclosure

Unless otherwise stated, all books and other products reviewed on this blog were purchased or independently acquired by the reviewer. Readers who make a purchase by clicking on links in product reviews or featured t-shirt posts (T-Shirt Tuesday) may result in the blogger receiving a commission or referral fee.

Two-Fisted Birdwatcher is giving away a blog-branded mug. Find this month’s hidden bird (Lesser Yellowlegs) to be eligible for the drawing. This regular giveaway usually ends by the end of the month, so HURRY and submit your answer before November is over! See the contest page for details.

The bird-song learning app iKnowBirdSongs is on sale in the iTunes store right now, priced at $7.99. The app is regularly priced at $9.99. This is a limited offer, so act quickly! The app includes songs of 371 species and gives you the ability to make your own sets of digital “flashcards” to aid in learning and remembering songs. Search for the app in the App Store on your device (iPhone or iPad) or look here for more information: iKnowBirdSongs.

Remember that August 30 – September 2 is the second Common Nighthawk Weekend of the year! The Common Nighthawk is the American Birding Association Bird of the Year for 2013. Go out and look for them this weekend! The above screenshots from the Peterson app are a good start. 🙂

Some new titles of note are available on Netflix for instant watching. Remember that titles are often on Netflix for a limited time, so watch ’em while you can! Only two of the titles from my previous posts (Netflix Instant Watch for birders and More Netflix Instant Watch for birders) are available to watch today. Note: the images are affiliate links to Amazon.com, where you can purchase the title. The text links go to Netflix.

Birders: The Central Park Effect This HBO documentary received acclaim from birders and non-birders alike when it first aired last year. “New York’s Central Park holds a magical attraction for diehard bird watchers such as the diverse group of locals featured here. The profiles include a teenage girl, a trombone technician, writer Jonathan Franzen and a host of feathered friends.”

Love Birds This is a cute, quirky romantic comedy out of New Zealand that was never released theatrically in the United States. You can have a look at a trailer on the official site. This isn’t about birders; it is about a man and his relationship with a wild duck. I thought it was cute. “Recently dumped and wallowing in self-pity, Doug decides to nurse an injured duck back to health with the assistance of Holly, an eccentric vet and bird specialist. Soon, romance begins to bloom, but the path to love is never easy.”

Nature: My Life as a Turkey “When naturalist Joe Hutto became “mother” to a clutch of 16 wild turkey eggs, he had no idea of the heartache and joy that were to become part of his daily existence for the next 18 months, as he raised the chicks and helped them leave the nest.” If you don’t have Netflix, this title is available to view for free on PBS.com.

Nature: Magic of the Snowy Owl “Nature takes an intimate look at the snowy owl, a bird made popular by Harry Potter’s faithful companion, Hedwig. “Snowies” stand out for their magical beauty, intelligence and charm. Filmmakers take us deep into the owl’s tundra home on the North Slope of Alaska to observe the daily struggles involved in raising a family of helpless owlets until they’re able to fly. Viewers discover that these strikingly beautiful Arctic owls have a range of skills far more impressive than those required of magical messengers.” If you don’t have Netflix, this title is also available on PBS.com.

Nature: Jungle Eagle “Wildlife expert Fergus Beeley journeys to the Venezuelan rainforest to document the mysterious lives of the elusive and deadly harpy eagles. But with enormous wingspans and lengthy talons, the keenly intelligent predators prove to be difficult prey.” If you don’t have Netflix, this title is available to view for free on PBS.com as well.

Have you seen any of these titles? Have you ever discovered an unknown gem on Netflix Instant Watch, or an outstanding documentary? By the way, the two titles about which I previously blogged that are still available to view instantly are The Life of Birds and Ghost Bird.

An “open mic” post on the ABA Blog made some waves in the online birding community today. The Field Glass Ceiling by Brooke McDonald discusses disparities among male and female birders in different parts of the birding community. The post is a must-read for all thoughtful birders, as is the lively discussion taking place in the comment thread.